


The King and I

by SwoodMaxProductions



Series: The Triforce Trio AU [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU, Breath of the Wild Sequel Trailer, Corpse ganondorf, Defying Fate, Dehydrated Ganondorf, Gen, Good Ganondorf, Jerkydorf, Mummydorf, Raisindorf, Rescue, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 21:37:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20477864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwoodMaxProductions/pseuds/SwoodMaxProductions
Summary: Link is hurt, worried about the princess, and trapped underground on an adventure with a weird beef jerky man.





	The King and I

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Lingering](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19242379) by [KrisseyCrystal (IceCreAMS)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreAMS/pseuds/KrisseyCrystal). 

He was pinned. The rubble had not only pummeled him, he couldn’t move, and the more he struggled, the worse the pain got. Had Zelda fallen, too? He tried to call out to her, but only choked on a mouthful of dust, the coughing sending pain shooting through his entire body. It was only after a minute of agonized gasping that Link realized the rubble on top of him was being moved.

But the bony, leathery, clawlike hands— NO, GODDESSES NO! Link tried to escape, adrenaline overpowering the crippling pain— damn it, where was the Master Sword?!

And then the hands let go.

Astonished, Link looked around wildly— gods there it was, illuminated by his magic-warped hand. The mummified corpse. But… looking at him. Not moving. Not attacking. Had… had this… thing… freed him? The corpse slowly raised its hands. Open palms. Whatever was animating this thing, it wasn’t just Malice…

The desiccated husk shuffled across the mound of rubble, AWAY from Link, before pausing and looking back at him, extending a bony finger toward a piece of fallen stonework. It made a few strange gasping, growling noises, and… SPOKE.

“_H _ _e r e_…”

Link cautiously edged toward the masonry, never taking his eyes off the undead entity, overturning it with his foot. Beneath the stone was the Master Sword.

It was then he realized.

The voice. The voice calling out under the thrum of the ancient magicks. It hadn’t said “find the body”. It was “find MY body…” This was the source of the voice Princess Zelda had told him about.

“...Ganondorf…?”

The corpse nodded, eyes glowing gold, spirit energy welling up—- tears…? It— no, he— made a strange hissing sound, trying to speak again, before shaking his head dejectedly. Instead, a strange resonance, distorted by the gurgling snarl of Malice, surrounded Link, entering his mind itself.

_BIE_…

Link stared, confused by whatever the mummified Gerudo was doing. Realizing the hero still couldn’t understand him, Ganondorf slowly raised his arm, pointing into the darkness before beginning to lumber in that direction. He wanted Link to follow him. And… he did save his life… And he had to get back to Princess Zelda...

He followed. Even as injured as he was, Link was still able to keep up with the ancient mage’s jerky, limping gait. He moved like a giant marionette being operated by a novice puppeteer, slow and disjointed, torso slumped forward…

Soon, they arrived at a huge, intricate stone door, carved with scenes of… people? Many of them were depicted battling Malice… and looking closer at how they were portrayed, all of them were Gerudo. MALE Gerudo.

_WLQZW AHVQ WLLHVE TAOH QQ…_

Ganondorf was staring up at the carvings, creating the bizarre resonance again.

_PEZG OIUI FICIQ FK BZI PEXQUI…_

A deep rumble startled Link as the door opened at his approach.

_WLQ AWZHR HQUXRVE, UQ WDGDMV EQGQALSUW_… 

Ganondorf, however, didn’t seem to react.

_WLQG XSXKTB LLHMD KMVVI MVV GUIMBWH WLQAW TOEOMK WR SFPWVV GACDH IVQM LLHQEMDZHW_…

The room beyond was lit by luminous crystals and strange blue stone. From what Link could see, it was some sort of… Library? Laboratory? Armory? It seemed to be a mix of the three...

..._BSG ALMOP PWF’X XRPMJWWEZL EI, GS KWM…_

“I… uh…”

The resonance began fading.

_...QIHMJ QLRP…_

The lost Gerudo king shuffled on.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Why yes, Ganondorf IS “speaking” in a cipher! The standard version of the cipher used in the fic I partially based this on, in fact! There IS a passphrase, though. Who’s the true source of Malice, again? I’m sure he’s the one behind this... ;)
> 
> (Spoilers: it’s written in a Vigenère cipher, where the passphrase is “Demise”.  
Translations, in order:
> 
> YES
> 
> THERE WERE OTHERS LIKE ME
> 
> MANY WERE TAKEN BY THE MALICE
> 
> THE SEVEN VICTORS, MY SACRED ANCESTORS
> 
> THEY FOUGHT THEIR CURSE AND CREATED THESE PLACES SO OTHERS COULD FREE THEMSELVES
> 
> YOU STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND ME, DO YOU
> 
> NEVER MIND)


End file.
